Art of working metal.



N0. 664,09l. Patented Dec. l8, I900.

.a. s. MERRILL.

ART OF WORKING METAL.

7 (Application filed Jan. 30, 1899.)

(No Model.)

Witnesses Inventor.

G m: 2% em 2e1- Merrill,

Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT Erica.

GEORGE SPENCER MERRILL, OF BELOIT, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE MERRILL PROCESS STEEL COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ART OF WORKING METAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,091, dated December 18, 1900.

Application filed January 30, 1899. Serial No. 703,927 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE SPENCER MER- RILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beloit, in the county of Rock and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Art of Metal- Working, of which the following is a specification. In making rolled iron and steel articles they are frequently allowed to leave the finishing-rolls at such a high temperature that the metal therein or a portion thereof is liable to partially revert to its condition before being rolled. This is particularly true in the case of heavy articles, such as heavy steel rails.

The objects of my improvement are, first, to prevent this partial degeneration of rolled articles after the process of rolling is finished, and, second, to improve the quality possessed by castings as heretofore made even where the difficulty above mentioned has not been experienced to any noteworthy degree.

The main features of my improvement are, first, subjecting all the metal in the article being rolled to substantially simultaneous compression after the process of rolling has been begun, and, second, partially cooling the metal treated while all parts thereof are under pressure after the process of rolling has been begun.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein similar letters refer to like partsin both views, Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic View of an apparatus for carrying out my process, and Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the upper and lower die members of the press illustrated.

In carrying out my improvements I prefer to first run the metal through ordinary rolls in the usual way until the article being made is ready for the finishing-roll. I preferably then place the partially-finished article in a suitable press adapted to subject all parts thereof to substantially simultaneous compression and preferably having combined therewith means for rapidly conducting heat away from the dies, so as to enable the press to partially cool the article compressed before the pressure thereof is removed. The cooling may advantageously go on during the act of compressing; but so far as the parthe metal is under pressure.

tial cooling mentioned is concerned the important point is that it shall take place while A very high pressure, such as fifty thousand pounds to the square inch or more, is considered best; but even a low pressure, so long as it is high enough to prevent the metal from cracking or becoming flawed during the cooling, gives good results and I do not wish to confine myself to the use of a high pressure.

Though I prefer to reserve the compression or compression and cooling until just before the article is passed through the finishingrolls, I do not wish to be confined to the use of either at any particular stage of the work. The compression or compression and partial cooling may be introduced at any point after the rolling has begun and may follow the passage of the metal through the finishing-rolls instead of preceding it, though I prefer that the metal shall be passed through the finishing-rolls after the compression of the article and its partial cooling in the manner I have described have taken place.

'Referring to the drawings, A B indicate rolls through which the metal -to be worked is passed prior to subjecting it to compression and cooling. For eEect-ing the compression and the cooling I may employ a press (preferably a hydraulic press) provided with the parts illustrated in the drawings. These are a lower die member D, formed in or secured to the bed of the press, and an upper die memher 0, which is arranged to be moved vertically by any suitable means. The upper and lower die members when separated permit the metal which has been rolled (a rail, for instance) to be passed into the press, and in the present instance they constitute the means for subjecting the metal to pressure from all sides, and the tendency of the metal to lengthen when subjected to transverse pressure is checked by end gates or blocks E and E, which are moved out of position by means of rods F and F to permit the metal to be passed into the die-cavity and are then moved to close the ends of that cavity. This limitation of the longitudinal movement of the metal converts the transverse pressure into simultaneous compression in all directions.

In an application, Serial No. 595,524, filed by me on or about November 4, 1898, is described and shown a form of press suitable for subjecting a metal rail or other article to compression in all directions simultaneously, and I refer thereto for greater particularity of illustration and description of a suitable form of press. Another form of apparatus suitable for compressing the metal in all directions is described and shown in United States Letters Patent No. 617,422, granted to me January 10, 1899.

The form of press useful in carrying out my present process and illustrated in the accompanying drawings is preferably provided with means for cooling the metal While under compression, and for this purpose the upper and lower die members 0 D are provided with hollow chambers, as K and L in Fig. 2, which are filled with any cooling fluid or medium, which may be supplied through pipes H and J and exhausted through pipes H and J, circulation being set up, if desired, to hasten the cooling. The rolled metallic article (the rail) having been compressed and also cooled to the degree desired is then removed from the press and passed between the finishing-rolls G, which give to it the final desired shape. These rolls, or some of them, may be hollow and a cooling medium supplied thereto in order to supplement the cooling by the press,

or, if desired, the cooling may be done entirely by means of the finishing-rolls. I prefer, however, that t-he article shall be passed through the finishing-rolls after compression and partial cooling in the press.

I claim- 1. The process of making rolled articles of metal, consisting in, first, rolling the metal while hot, next subjecting the article to practically simultaneous compression from alldirections, and partiallycooling the article; substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The process of making rolled articles of metal, consisting in, first, rolling the metal while hot, next subjecting the article to practically simultaneous compression from all directions, partially cooling the article, and finishing the article by rolling; substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The process of making rolled articles of metal, consisting in, first, rolling the metal while hot, next simultaneously subjecting the article to practically simultaneous compression from all directions, and finishing, the article by rolling; substantially as and for the purpose described.

GEORGE SPENCER MERRILL.

Witnesses:

BENJ. F. REX, O. D. GREENE, Jr. 

